Girard Perregaux 1957 Gyromatic LE Watch

Limited to 225 pieces in honor of the brand’s 225th anniversary, this 40 mm steel watch features a revisited vintage design strongly inspired by the aesthetic codes of GP’s Gyromatic watches dating from the 1960s: an oval watch case with round bezel, champagne dial with an antique effect, dauphine hands with luminescent material, and applied indexes. And while it’s yet to be confirmed, it’s my belief that this watch could be Officially Bhanu Approved.

One of the major challenges associated with automatic winding is how to turn the circular to-and-fro movement of the movement’s oscillating mass, or rotor, into the one-way circular motion that can actually wind the mainspring. For this purpose, horological engineers usually resort to a device called a motion reverser, featuring ratcheted wheels. However, the stronger the pawls and teeth, the larger they are, leading to an increase in idle travel. The remedy lies in using smaller, and therefore more fragile components.

The ‘Gyromatic’ system substitutes roller-equipped unidirectional clutches for the ratchet wheels. The resulting construction is simple, reliable and efficient. What’s more, its compactness opens the way for slim, sleek and stylish designs. The ‘Gyromatic’ has since demonstrated its excellence in thousands of Girard-Perreaux timepieces including the top-of-the-line ‘Gyromatic HF’ (for high frequency), the self-winding watch equivalent of the Formula 1 race car.

This development marked its ultimate major contribution to mechanical watch design. Along with others, it is attested by the patents granted to the company over the years. The 2016 model is called the “1957” because that was the year that the technology was first used in a movement, however the design is based more on styling from 1960s Gyromatic watches.

In 1966, the Neuchâtel Observatory’s prestigious Centenary Prize acknowledged Girard-Perregaux’s superior ability. The next year, no less than 73% of all rating certificates were attributed to Girard-Perregaux high frequency watches, a tribute to the extreme degree of precision which Girard-Perregaux had brought to mechanical time technology.

As an homage to this period, the Manufactures celebrates this year its iconic timepiece at the occasion of Girard-Perregaux’s 225th Anniversary. The 1957, with its glass box, champagne dial with a retro effect, dauphine hands with luminescent material and applied indexes recalls Girard-Perregaux’s heritage.

The stainless steel case with polished upper and brushed sides encloses the vintage dial under a sapphire glace which the design recalls the plexyglasses used in the past. The 1957 comes with an open case back showing the in-house movement GP03300 with traditional finishes like back on the 70’s with “Côtes de Genève” and circular graining decorations on the main plate & oscillating weight. Asking price for the 1957 Gyromatic is a hefty $10,300.